Machine for snelling fishhooks



March 13, 1934. w. s. TORRENCE MACHINE FOR SNELLING FISHHOOKS Filed Jan. 12, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 1' March 13, 1934. w s TORRENCE 1,951,222

MACHINE FOR SNELLING FISHHOOKS Filed Jan. 12, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 13, 1934. w s o c 1,951,222

MACHINE FOR SNELLING FISHHOOKS Filed Jan. 12, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. 13, 1934 FATENT @FFEQE MACHINE FOR SNELLING FISHHOOKS Walter S. Terrence, Carmel, N. Y., assignor to Pequea Works, Strasburg, Pa., a firm consisting of Harry G. Kaufman and Edwin Brown Application January 12, 1933, Serial No. 651,432

8 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in machines for snelling fish hooks.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a machine for the purpose set forth which will be substantially automatic in operation and will accurately and uniformly apply the Wrapping to the overlapping portions of the snell and hook.

A further object of the invention is to provide -a machine of the character described which is of relatively simple, rugged construction capable of'be'ing operated by unskilled labor to accomplish the snelling operations.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a machine of the general character described having novel means to effect a relative traverse of the overlapping portions of the snell and hook and winding-on means wherein the distance traversed during one revolution of the 5 machine is equal to the diameter of the wrapping means being wound.

Other features and details of the invention are set forth hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan View of the fish hook snelling machine constituting the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine disclosed in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detached view in perspective showing the novel mechanism to effect relative traverse movement of the hook holding means and winding-on means.

Fig. 1 is an enlarged end view of the hook carrying shaft showing the hook securing and thread tensioning means associated therewith.

Fig. 5 is a modification of the sliding sleeve member and its operating mechanism; and

Fig. 6 is a detached view showing the particular mechanism operable to effect disconnection 1 of the drive pulley and the main shaft.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the machine forming the subject of the present invention comprises a base 1 mounted upon legs 2 suitably located on the under-side thereof as shown and having bearings 3, 4 and 5mounted on the upper side thereof.

A shaft 6 is rotatably journaled in the bearings 3, 4 and 5 and extends an appreciable distance beyond the outer face of the latter mentioned bearing, the said shaft 6 being of semi-circular cross section area as at '7 throughout a portion of its length adjacent the right end thereof with respect to the disclosure in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The flat surface 7 of the semi-ciroular portion of the shaft 6 is provided with an axially and the opposite or inner end of the sleeve 11 is.

provided with a head 15 having a groove 16 in the periphery thereof, the purpose of which will be set forth hereinafter.

The shank 9 of the hook 10 is secured in the groove 3 of the shaft 6 by means of a latch 17 pivotally mounted on a pin 1'7a residing in the cut out 1% adjacent the outer end of the shaft.

6 between two small plates 18, 18a having a substantially V shaped notch formed therein with the vertex in alignment with the axis of the groove 8 in the shaft, the said latch being normally maintained in locking position overlying the shank of a hook by means of a spring 19, which embraces said pin 17a.

The thread or wire used to wrap the overlapping portions of a hook shank and snell is fed from a spool 20 mounted on the base 1 in any suitable manner, and the thread passes from said spool 20 through a novel tensioning means 21 and an eye 22 closely adjacent the hook shank and snell. From the eye 22 the thread passes behind a small spring strip 23 secured to the outer face of the small end plate 18a on the shaft 6 which functions in the manner of a tensioning device. The edge of the spring strip 23 adjacent the notch in the plate 18a may be machined down if desired to aiford a cutting edge to sever the thread at the completion of a spelling operation.

A worm 24 is mounted on the shaft 6 intermediate the bearings 3 and 4 supporting the latter and this worm 24 is in meshed relation with a worm wheel 25 mounted on a shaft 26 journaled in the bearing supports 27, 27a. The worm wheel 25 includes a hub portion 28 on the inner face of which are formed jaws 29 constituting one member of a jaw clutch designated generally as 30. The other or complementary member of the clutch 30 is formed on the adjacent face of the hub 31 of a cam 32 which is slidably and rotatably mounted on the shaft 26 and a spring 33 embraces said shaft 26 and acts between the opposite face of the cam hub 31 and the bearing 27a to normally maintain the jaw clutch 30 in engagement to effect rotation of the cam 32 with the shaft 26.

In order to disengage the jaw clutch 36 against the spring 33 and stop further rotation of the cam 32 with the shaft 26, a substantially L-shaped lever 34 is pivoted at 35 on the under side of the base 1. One end of the lever 34 carries a shift fork 36, the arms 3'7 of which slidably engage a groove 38 formed in the circumferential surface of the cam hub 31 as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and the other end thereof extends beyond the edge of the base 1 so as to be accessible for movement by the operator of the machine.

A rod 39 is slidably mounted in bearings 4 and 5 and the left hand end thereof with respect to Fig. 2 of the drawings, is rounded as at 46 to ride upon the peripheral surface 41 of the cam 32, the other end of said rod being connected by a cross head 42 to a parallel rod 43 slidably mounted in the bearing 4 and connected at its other end to the bearing 4 by a spring 44 which tends to move the cam rod 39 to the left in the direction of the cam 32 against the peripheral contour 41 thereof.

A bracket 45 is adjustably mounted on the cam rod 39 and is secured thereon in predetermined position by means of a thumb screw 46. A projecting abutment 47 is formed on the bracket 45, the purpose for which will be set forth in detail hereinafter. A shift fork 48 is carried by the bracket 45 and the arms of said fork slidably engage the groove 16 formed in the head 15 at the inner end of the sleeve 11.

Thus it will be seen that movement of the cam rod 39 to the right by the cam results in a corresponding movement of the sleeve 11 to the right on the rotatable shaft 6.

A start and stop shipper rod 49 is slidably and rotatably mounted in the bearings 3, 4 and 5 and a stop 56 is formed on the outer face of the bearing 5 to limit the are through which the rod 49 may be rotated. A spring 49a. embraces a portion of the rod 49 and is so connected as to tend to rotate said rod in a rearward direction against the said stop 50. A bracket 51 having an upstanding handle or lever 52 thereon is adjustably mounted upon the shipper rod 49 by means of a thumb screw 53, and a projecting abutment or stop 54 is formed on the bracket 51 said stop 54 being so positioned thereon as to lie in the path of longitudinal movement of the stop 47 on the fork bracket 45 carried by the cam rod 39, when the shipper rod is in its normal position against the stop effected by means of the spring 49a.

The shaft 6 is rotated by means of a drive pulley 55 driven by means of a motor or other source of power through a belt, neither of which are shown in the drawings. Connection between the shaft 6 and drive pulley 55 is afforded by a clutch designated generally as at 56 comprising a drum 57 having a lug or tooth 58 slidably mounted therein and movable against a spring (not shown) parallel to the axis of the shaft 6 to engage a notch or slot 59 in the pulley 55.

An annular groove 60 is formed in the peripheral surface of the drum 57 and the portion of the lug 58 exposed in said groove, is provided with a raised portion 61, the end face of which is disposed at an angle to constitute a cam surface 62 arranged for engagement by the tapered end 63 of an arm 64 to actuate said lug 58 to the right with respect to Fig. l of the drawings out of engagement with the notch 59 in the drive pulley 55. The arm 64 is normally supported above and out of the path of the portion of the lug 58 in the groove 60 by the cylindrical portion of the start rod 49 adjacent the left hand end thereof with respect to Fig. 1 of the drawings. The end of the rod 49 is chamfered as shown at 66 in Fig. 6 of the drawings, and these flat surfaces 66 are cut to a sufficient depth below the circumference or the cylindrical surface of the rod to permit the arm 64 to be lowered by a spring 65 into the groove 66 when the rod 49 is actuated to the right with respect to Fig. l and the cylindrical surface of said rod has moved from beneath the arm 64 which is then supported in its lower position by the ohamfered portion 66 of said rod 49. When the arm 64 is thus lowered into the groove 60 of the drum, the tapered portion 63 thereof resides in the path of the cam surface 62 on the raised portion 61 of the lug 58 and moves or withdraws the same from engagement with the notch 59 of the drive pulley 55.

For the purpose of insuring substantially immediate stopping of rotation of the shaft 6 substantially simultaneous with the breaking of the drive connection between said shaft and the drive pulley 55 braking means may be associated with the clutch mechanism 56 and, in the present instance, a brake shoe 67 is shown as partially surrounding the drum 57 of the clutch mechanism.

In operation of the machine with the lug 58 engaging the drive pulley 55 and brackets 45 and 51 properly positioned on the cam rod 39 and shipper rod 49 for the particular size fish hook to be snelled, the distance between the stop members 4'7 and 54 is set for the desired length of wrap and the motor is started rotating the shaft 6 and sleeve 11, in which is mounted the fish hook to be wrapped.

The rotation of the shaft 6 and worm 24 thereon rotates the pinion 25, and the jaw clutch 30 being in engagement by virtue of the spring 33, the cam 32 is rotated in a clockwise direction with respect to the drawings and the cam rod 39 riding on the cam surface 41 is advanced or moved toward the right. It should be pointed out at this time that the cam rod is moved to the right at a distance, during one revolution of the shaft 6, equal to the diameter of the wire or thread used in the particular snelling opera tion, and that for various sizes of wrap it is necessary to replace the particular cam 32 with a similar one having a contour 41 which will advance the cam rod 39 a distance equal to the diameter of the wrap medium during each revolution of the shaft 6.

This movement to the right of the cam rod 39 effects a corresponding equal movement or traverse of the sleeve 11 with respect to the shaft 6 which causes the overlapping portions of the fish hook and snell to slide longitudinally on the shaft 6 resulting in a relative traversing of the overlapping portions with respect to the winding on means.

As the right hand movement of the cam rod 39 and the sleeve 11 progresses, the stop 47 ultimately engages the stop 54 on the bracket 51 and moves shipper rod 49 to the right, causing the arm 64 to move further into the groove 66 of the drum 5? and engage the cam surface 62 of the lug 58 and withdraw the lug 58 from engagement with the drive pulley to disconnect the latter and th shaft 6 stopping the winding operation. The lever 34 is shifted to disengage the jaws 30 against the spring 33 and the cam 32, by reason of its eccentrically disposed center of gravity, is returned to the starting position shown in Fig. 3 and the cam rod 39 is moved to the left by the spring 44, the sleeve 11 being accordingly returned by the shipper fork connection with the cam rod to start position. Movement of the cam rod to the left to start position allows the shipper rod 49 to move to the left to its normal position ready for starting of the machine immediately the rod 49 is rocked by the handle 52 to elevate the arm 64 out of the groove and release the retracted lug 58 to engage the notch 59 on the drive pulley 55 to rotate shaft 6 and repeat the snelling operation.

A modification of the invention is shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings wherein the slidable shaft 39 extends appreciably beyond the outer face of the bearing 5 and the sliding sleeve on the shaft 6 and the sleeve shipper fork and bracket on the rod 39 are mounted beyond the outer face of said bearing 5 in the manner shown in the drawings.

While the particular embodiment of the invention has been set forth for the purpose of description, it is not intended that the invention be limited precisely as disclosed and described except as is without the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A fish hook snelling machine including a' rotatably driven shaft, a fish hook receiving seat at one end thereof, a hook feeding mem ber on said shaft, a rod movable axially with respect to the shaft, means connecting said rod and. hook feeding member whereby movement of the former is imparted to the latter, means operable to actuate said rod axially of said shaft, a second rod slidable axially of the shaft, a stop on said second rod arranged for engagement by the means connecting the first rod and the hook feeding member whereby said second rod is actuated, and means actuated by the displacement of said second rod to break the driving connection to the shaft.

2. A fish hook snelling machine including a rotatably driven shaft, 2.- fish hook receiving seat at one end thereof, a hook feeding member on said shaft, a rod movable axially with respect to the shaft, means connecting said rod and hook feeding member whereby movement of the former is imparted to the latter, means driven by said shaft operable to actuate said rod axially of said shaft, a second rod slidable axially of the shaft, a stop on said second rod arranged for engagement by the means connecting the first rod and the hook feeding member whereby said second rod is actuated, and means actuated by the displacement of said second rod to break the driving connection to the shaft.

3. A fish hook snelling machine including a rotatably driven shaft, a fish hook receiving seat at one end thereof, a hook feeding memher on said shaft, a rod slidable axially with respect to the shaft, means directly connecting said rod and hook feeding member whereby the movement of the former is directly imparted to the latter, means driven by said shaft for actuating said rod, and means operable at will to break the driving connection from the shaft to said rod actuating means.

4. A fish hook snelling machine including a rotatably driven shaft, a fish hook receiving :iseat at one end thereof, a hook feeding member on said shaft, a rod slidable axially with respect to the shaft, means directly connecting said rod and hook feeding member whereby the movement of the former is directly imparted to the latter, means driven by said shaft for actuating said rod, means operable at will to break-the driving connection from the shaft to said rod actuating means, and means operable simultaneously with said last-mentioned means to return the rod actuating means to its initial position when the driving connection is broken.

5. A fish hook snelling machine including a rotatably driven shaft, a fish hook receiving seat at one end thereof, a hook feeding member on said shaft, a rod slidable axially of the shaft, means connecting said rod and hook feeding member whereby movement of the former is imparted to the latter, actuating means for the rod driven by said shaft, a second rod slidable axially of the shaft, a stop on said second rod for engagement by the means connecting the first rod and the hook feeding member, whereby the rod is actuated axially of said shaft, means operated by the displacement of said second rod to break the driving connection to the shaft, and means operable to retain said rod in its advanced position.

6. A fish hook snelling machine including a rotatably driven shaft, a fish hook receiving seat at one end thereof, a hook feeding member on said shaft, a rod slidable axially of the shaft, means connecting said rod and hook feeding member whereby movement of the former is imparted to the latter, actuating means for the rod driven by said shaft, a second rod slidable axially of the shaft, a stop on said second rod for engagement by the means connecting the first rod and the hook feeding member,

whereby the rod is actuated axially of said shaft, means operated by the displacement of said second rod to break the driving connection to the shaft, means operable to retain said rod in its advanced position, and means operable to release said second rod and return the same to its initial position and re-establish driving connection to said shaft.

'7. A fish hook snelling machine including a rotatably driven shaft, a fish hook receiving seat at one end thereof, a hook feeding member slidably embracing said shaft, a rod slidable axially of the shaft, means connecting said rod and hook feeding member whereby movement of the former is imparted to the latter, actuating means driven by said shaft for the rod, means operable at will to break the driving connection from the shaft to said actuating means, means operable to return the actuating means to its initial position when the driving connection is broken, means for returning the rod to initial position simultaneously with said rod actuating means, a second rod slidable axially of the shaft, a stop on said second rod for engagement by the hook means connecting the first rod and the feeding member whereby the rod is actuated toward the hook end of the machine, means operable to retain said rod in its advanced position, means operated by displacement of said second rod to break the driving connection to the shaft, and means operable to release said second rod and return same to its initial position and re-establish the driving connection to said shaft.

8. A fish hook snelling machine including a rotatably driven shaft, a fish hook receiving seat in one end thereof, releasable catch means rod and said member, a second rod slidable axially of said hook feeding member, an adjustable stop mounted thereon and having a projection arranged to be engaged by said means connecting the first rod and the hook feeding memher and actuate the second rod toward the hook receiving end of the machine, means tending to resist movement of said rod in that direction, and means actuated by movement of said second rod for stopping rotation of said shaft.

WALTER S. TORRENCE. 

